My challenge as PR practitioner–SAHCO image maker

Adesola Vanessa Uansohia is the Manager, Public Relations of Skyways Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC

In this chat, the fluent PR practitioner opens up on some details not known to the public.

Unassuming Vanessa hails from a middle class family where both parents were European trained professionals. This, according to her, tutored her on the path of nobility in her later life.

The point of attraction to Mrs Uansohia is her level of intelligence hidden under the toga of humility. A close relationship will immediately reveal this virtue.

Read up the article and know more about the mother of boys who is also surrounded by only male colleagues in Public Relations department.

Excerpts.

Let us meet you.

My name is Adetola Vanessa Uansohia, I am from Iju in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state but my husband is from Edo state. So, I am a true Nigerian.

My favourite colours are red and black. I love them separately. I want to believe I am attracted to red colour because I am dark in complexion and back is formal and I am a classic person and black is a classic colour. It never goes wrong when you wear black

Favourite food

Do I really have a favourite food? But let me tend towards my heritage and let me put it as pounded yam

Becoming a PR practitioner

I will say Public Relations found me. When I came into SAHCOL, I was in the Operations department as a fresh graduate in 2008 after service in Gombe. I was in Operations department as passenger handling officer, I was into boarding, checking for eight years but in-between, I wanted a career change and I had to choose between Human Resources and Public Relations.

I chose Human Resources even for my Masters but for one reason or the other, I found myself in Public Relations and I went to do all necessary courses at Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, (NIPR) and there was an opening at the Public Relations department, I applied and got the job as an Assistant Manager.

I was under the tutelage of the present Managing Director and CEO, Basil Agboarumi who I admire so much because he is my mentor.

I later fell in love with the profession and when he moved to become the Managing Director, I moved in as the Manager in charge of public relations.

Challenges as Manager PR

It wasn’t much of a challenge because of my operations background because I deal with average of about 200 people on daily basis. That has taught me how to relate with people.

But this time around, I am relating with a specific type of people. The only challenge I can say I have is staying out late because that is one thing I don’t like.

So, you can’t be in Public Relations and not stay out late because most events come in the evening. To me, that is a challenge. Over the years, I have been able to find my feet with it.

Another challenge is having to be good to everybody. You can’t choose your crowd, you just have to be plain with everybody. Everybody has to be your friend. Over the years, I have learnt how to smile.

Growing up

I grew up in Akure in a middle class environment. My father was an architect and my mother was a Vice Principal (both late now). To a large extent, I was comfortable, my father was working with the federal government.

My father was working in Lagos so most of my holidays we were in Lagos.
I am the first and only girl. I can say I was spoilt, I was a daddy’s girl. It is quite coincidental that I have only boys, so you can actually call me the king of boys.

I had a very good relationship with my parents and to a large extent, they shaped my life.

In my family, there is nothing called Nigerian time and that has helped me. For us, hardwork is good work, both of them were European trained and that had a lot of roles to play in our lives as children.

So, loyalty, diligence, hardwork and honesty were the watchwords in my family. I find it disheartening these days when I see our youth wanting to make wealth quickly.

I was raised to believe that you climb the ladder step by step and eventually whatever you get will last longer.

Schools attended

I attended St. Louis Nursery and Primary school in Akure. I also attended St. Peters Unity Secondary School in Akure. I went to University of Ado Ekiti where I studied Philosophy.
For my Master’s, I studied Public Relations at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)
I also have a Diploma from Nigeria Institute of Public Relations. I am a member of the Institute

Advice to youth

I will like to tell the youth not to measure their lives with others, run your own race because everybody is peculiar. We are all in the world to write exams but each person’s question is different from the others.
You can use that as a landmark but it should not be the onus of your existence because you may overshoot the runway and burn out quickly.

There is always a place for loyalty and hardwork. The world believe that honesty is old fashioned. If you have to stand alone in honesty, please do stand because the place of God cannot be taken away. People should have Persia relationship with God.